Apparatus for preparing inventory tickets and labels for use by applying thereto sections of double-faced, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape

ABSTRACT

Apparatus is disclosed for applying at least one length or section of double-faced, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape to the undersurface of articles, such, for example, as a ticket of the type affixed to merchandise as a part of an inventory control system and positioning each such processed article in a position for removal. Both the tape section applying means and the article positioning means are disclosed as air-operated and their operation is actuated by the removal of a processed article from the apparatus.

Umted States Patent 11 1 [111 3,878,022

Davis 1 A r. 15, 1975 [54] APPARATUS FOR PREPARING 2,543,004 2/1951Dewyer 156/521 INVENTORY TICKETS AND LABELS FOR :essl; on anen USE BYAPPLYING THERETO SECTIONS 3,576,695 4/1971 Stine 156/521 0FDOUBLE-FACED, 3,607,579 9/1971 Enskat 156/521 PRESSURE-SENSITIVEADHESIVE TAPE 3,676,266 7/1972 Jensen et a1. 156/521 Inventor: Robert F.Davis, Framingham, Mass.

Assignee: Tapeler Corporation, Framingham,

Mass.

Filed: Apr. 10, 1973 Appl. No.: 349,824

Related U.S. Application Data Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 192,078,Oct. 26, 1971, abandoned.

U.S. Cl. 156/363; 93/369; 156/521; 156/572 Int. Cl B321! 31/00; B31b19/60 Field of Search 156/521, 563, 351, 34, 156/517, 16, 520,22, 566,572; 93/369 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1948 Anderson156/521 Primary Examiner-Douglas J. Drummond 21 Claims, 16 DrawingFigures I 'SJENTEE APP. I 5 i375 sumleri;

INVENTOR Add Human-ff}.

y/ummi mi li- 'um ATTORNEY PATENTEEAFR 1 5 INVENTOR HUBER?" E [1/3 W5 MaATTORNEY NEG APPARATUS FOR PREPARING INVENTORY TICKETS AND LABELS FORUSE BY APPLYING THERETO SECTIONS OF DOUBLE-FACED,

PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE TAPE The present application is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 192,078, filed Oct. 26,1971 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Inventory control is an important andtroublesome business problem and systems for effecting such controlcommonly require that tickets be applied to the units to be inventoriedwith the tickets removed at the time of sale and then used inmaintaining a check of the available supply of such units.

The inventory tickets are of various types and are variously affixed.Staples and pins have been used but the preferred practice is to usetickets that can be quickly and easily applied and as quickly and easilyremoved and for that reason, tickets having adhesive applied thereto ina limited or limited areas and in a condition for use when removed fromthe dispenser are preferred. Apparatus for processing an inventoryticket by applying a heated adhesive thereto is shown in US. lettersPat. Nos. 3,262,418 and 3,416,787. While such apparatus has beensuccessfully used, the use of apparatus that requires a hot melt as theadhesive, is as objectionable as apparatus that requires that anadhesive coat be moistened before it can be used.

THE PRESENT INVENTION The objective of the present invention is toprovide apparatus in which the adhesive applied to articles does notrequire conditioning, an objective attained with apparatus provided witha pathway into one end of which articles are introduced, one-by-one, andwith means to advance them along the pathway into a second position. Theapparatus also has means operable to pull tape from at least one roll ofa double-faced, pressuresensitive adhesive tape, sever a predeterminedlength of the tape and press that tape section or sections against thearticle advanced to the second position. The apparatus includesoperating means for both the article advancing and the tape pulling,severing and applying means, the operating means including a controloperable when a processed article is removed from the forward end of thepathway. The term article as used herein, includes any that can bepushed along a pathway and is to be affixed to another object. By way ofexamples, the articles may be cards, labels, holding or carrying strips,or inventory tickets, the invention being detailed with particularreference to the last named articles.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the accompanying drawings, there is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention in which FIG. 1 is a side view ofthe apparatus with the housing partly broken away;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a processed ticket;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus with its cover plate partlybroken away;

FIG. 3 is a section taken approximately along the in dicated lines 33 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a fragmentary and partly broken away from view of a tape rollmounted on a support;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a tape severing and tape section applying head;

FIG. 5 is an end view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 6-6 ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the head;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view, on an increase in scale, of the feedblock of the tape severing and tape section applying head;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the pneumatic circuitry by which theticket advancing means and the tape severing and tape section applyingmeans are operated;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view showing a head of the tape severing andsection applying means being retracted and the ticket pushing platebeing advanced;

FIG. 11 is a like view but with the head so retracted that the feedblock is being turned;

FIG. 12 is a section, on an increase in scale, taken approximately alongthe indicated lines 12-12 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 13 is another like view showing the head fully retracted and theticket pushing plate fully advanced;

FIG. 14 is another like view with the head fully raised and the platefully retracted.

The disclosed apparatus comprises a housing 20 open at the rear andhaving a slideway 21 for the base plate 22 and a detachable cover plate23.

A guide plate 24, secured to the undersurface of the cover plate 23, seeFIG. 2, has a wide shallow channel 25 extending forwardly under atransverse slot 26 in the cover plate 23 dimensioned for the entry of anarticle shown as an inventory ticket 27 therethrough. The floor of thechannel 25 includes a central narrow exten sion 28 terminating beyond atransversely aligned pair of ports 29 in the cover plate 23 and has agroove 30 extending centrally thereof and from end-to-end of theextension 28. The front wall of the housing 20 is relieved so that itand the cover plate 23 provides a ticket exit generally indicated at 31.That portion of the cover and guide plates including and extendingforwardly of the transverse slot 26 to the exit 31 defines a pathway forthe tickets 27 with the means for delivering thereto shown as a magazine32 releasably secured in a seat surrounding the slot 26 by holders 33,see FIG. 1. A weight 34 in the magazine seats a stack of tickets againstthe floor of the slideway, the height of which being such that a ticket27 is a slidable fit therein and that only the bottom ticket of thestack is in the pathway.

A slide 35 in the groove 30 has a plate 36 attached thereto with itsforward portion extending forwardly of the slide 35 and of a thicknessand length such that it may enter the ticket pathway and push the bottomticket of the stack forwardly into a position underlying the pair ofports 29 where it is centrally supported by the extension 28. Theportion of the ticket pathway underlying the transverse slot 26 issometimes referred to as the first ticket station and that portionthereof underlying the pair of ports 29 is sometimes referred to as thesecond station. A mount 37 secured to the rear edge of the cover plate23 has the cylinder of a pistoncylinder unit 38 attached thereto withits stem extending forwardly and connected to the slide 35 and the unitis operable to reciprocate the slide and its pusher plate to advance aticket from the first to the second station.

At the forward end of the groove 30, there is a ticket snubber 39,conveniently of a foam rubber, that yieldably holds a ticket 27 in thesecond station. In addition, a spring finger 40, secured to the coverplate 23, extends forwardly for yieldable holding engagement with thecentral, trailing portion of the upper surface of a ticket 27 at theexit 31. At the second station, as will subsequently be more fullydescribed, sections 41, each of a predetermined length of double-faced,pressuresensitive adhesive tape, are applied by section forming andapplying means, generally indicated at 42, to either or both ends of aticket 27 at the second station. It will be noted that a backing plate43 overlies the ports 29 and includes portions 44, one for each port 29and fitting therein. The ends of the plate 43 are attached to the coverplate 23 by screws 45 which pass freely through end posts 46 withinterposed springs 47 providing a yieldable backing for each ticket 27as the tape lengths 41 are applied thereto.

As a ticket 27 is pushed forwardly from the first station into thesecond station, if there is a ticket at said second station, it will beforced forwardly with its central portion exposed in an open-ended slot48 in the front edge of the cover plate 23 below which the housing has avertical channel 49 providing support for the ticket and alsofacilitating the gripping of its central portion when it is to beremoved. This portion of the ticket pathway is referred to as the thirdstation. It will be noted that the ticket engaging portion of the springfinger 40 is within the slot 48 and upper edge of the housing channelthus securely but releasably holding it at the exit 31 in a position tobe removed. The cover plate 23 supports a trigger or sensor 50 which, aswill presently be more fully detailed, is operative to actuate theapparatus whenever a ticket 27 is removed from the third station then toeffect the replacement thereof with another processed ticket, i.e., aticket with a section or sections 41 of double-faced, pressure-sensitiveadhesive tape applied to its undersurface.

The tape section forming and applying means 42 are mounted on the baseplate 22 and include a pair of rearwardly extending arms 51 and 51A eachhaving a mount 52 at its end for the support of a roll 53 ofadouble-face, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, see FIGS. 1 and 2.

Each mount 52, see FIGS. 3 and 3A, has, in accordance with U.S. Pat. No.3,531,057, a cup-shaped member 54 rotatably supported within it by abolt 55 extending through its closed end and through a washer 56 andconnecting it to the appropriate one of the arms 51, 51A. A flangedsleeve 57 is caught by the head of the bolt 55 and bears against aspring 58 backed by the closed end of the member 54 thereby to providean adjustable drag. The cup-shaped member 54 has a pair of spacedflanges 59 with a slot 60 in back of one of them through which extendsone end of a torsion spring 61 whose other end is anchored in 'theclosed end of the member 54.

Each tape roll 53 has a core 62 provided at or adjacent its outer endwith a pair of diametrically opposed, inwardly disposed tabs 63 disposedand dimensioned so that they may pass through the gaps between theflanges 59 and be held thereby when the core 62 is turned in a rollunwinding direction, one tab 63 then engaging the protruding end of thespring 61. This arrangement, as more fully detailed in the abovereferred-to patent, provides a cushion when the tape is subjected to anunwinding pull and also a slack take-up when that pull is released.

guiding rolls 64 and 65 and a festoon roll 66. The tape from each taperoll 53 is first trained about a guide roll 64, then about the festoonroll 66 and finally about the guide roll 65 and it will be noted thatthe rolls are so arranged that a small angle exists between the tape atthe infeed and outfeed sides of the festoon roll 66 and that a V-shapedstripper plate 67 is secured to each arm adjacent it festoon roll 66 forremoving the lining 68 with which most pressure-sensitive, double-facedadhesive tapes are provided.

Adjacent the forward end of the base plate 22 there are, see FIG. 1,laterally spaced and transversely aligned bores 69 having counterbores70, each in vertical alignment with an appropriate one of the ports 29at the second station of the ticket pathway. The threaded neck 71A ofthe cylinder of a piston-cylinder unit, generally indicated at 71, isinserted upwardly through each bore and is anchored by a nut 72 fittingthe counterbore. The stem of each piston-cylinder unit 71 has a head,generally indicated at 73, attached thereto.

Each head 73, see FIGS. 4 7, includes a head plate 74 which has athreaded connection with the stem of an appropriate one of thepiston-cylinder units 71 and carries a pair of vertically slidableplungers 75 backed by springs 76 and with their upper ends connected toa pusher 77, the function of which will presently be explained. The headplate 74 is provided with side plates 78 which support the axle 79 of asquare feed block 80, the pin 81 in support of a fairing roll 82 that isrotatable only in the direction in which the tape is unwound, and theaxle 83 of the anvil 84 which has a resiliently yieldable core 85.

Each face of each feed block has, see FIG. 8, a pair of pins 86 mountedin bores 87 with their heads backed by the axle 79 thereby to be heldwith their ends protruding except when, as in the case when a block faceis disposed upwardly towards the second station of the ticket pathway,they overlie the cam pocket 88 in the feed block axle 79 which enablesthem to drop inwardly and become inoperative. As the feed block 80 isagain turned, the cam surface of the pocket 88 forces the pins 86outwardly. The function of the pins 86 is to catch and hold the tape toeach of the blocks 80 as the tape passes from the appropriate fairingroll 82 and the function of each anvil 84 is to sever the tape against acorner of a block 80 as it turns so that a severed section 41 is madeavailable for application to the undersurface of a ticket 27 when a unit71 is operated to advance the appropriate head 73 into its elevatedposition in which the tape section 41 is pressed upwardly against aticket 27 at the second station. Each face of the feed block 80 is shownas having a transverse anchoring slot 89 for use in anchoring the tapethereto at the start.

It will be seen that on each side of and adjacent each of its corners,each block 80 has pins 90, and that detents 91, see FIG. 4, pivotallyconnected to the side plates 78 have cam ends 92 terminating in pockets93 which receive and hold a pin to prevent retrograde rotation of theblocks 80. The detents 91 are yieldably held in their operative positionby springs 94.

At the end of the base plate 22, there is a reservoir 95 for oil andprovided with wicks 96 in engagement with the anvils 84 thereby toensure that the tape does not adhere thereto. It will be noted, see FIG.8, that each face of the blocks 80 has a series of grooves 97 that makethe area in which the tape is in engagement therewith small in relationto that of a ticket 27 to which the tape sections 41 are to be applied.In addition, the faces may be provided with a release coat such, forexample, a polytetrafluoroethylene.

The pushers 77 that have been previously referred to have the importantfunction that, when actuated, they press the tape against theundersurface of the blocks 80 ensuring that the tape is pierced andcaught by the pins 86. It will be noted that the pushers 77 have acentral, pin-accommodating slot 98 and that they become operative onlywhen, see FIGS. 13 and 6, a block 80 has been turned and returned intoits fully retracted position.

The heads 73 are reciprocated by the units 71 and during that upwardtravel to affix tape sections 41 on the undersurface of a ticket 27 atthe second station, tape is pulled from the rolls 53. On the retractionof the heads 73, the blocks 80 are turned to replace the tape sectionsthat were just transferred to the ticket. To effect such turning, seeFIG. 4, the plate 22 is provided with U-shaped mounts 99, one for eachhead 73. A pair of pawls 100, interconnected by the pin 101, areattached to each mount 99 by a pivot 102 in support of a coil spring 103whose ends bear on the undersurface of the pin 101 and the mount 99.Each pair of pawls extends upwardly within a head 73, one adjacent eachof its side walls 78. In the advanced, section-applying position of theheads 73, see FIG. 14, the pawls 100 are positioned by the spring 103 tobe engaged by pins 90 when the heads 73 are retracted thereby to turnthe blocks 80 a quarter turn as will be apparent from FIGS. 10, 11, and13. It will be apparent that the pawls 100 yield when the heads areagain advanced. In this connection, attention is directed to US. Pat.No. 3,625,799.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that means are provided toadvance a ticket from the magazine into the second station and with suchadvance forcing any ticket at the second station into the third stationfrom which it may be removed and that means are also provided that areoperable to deliver sections of double-faced, pressure-sensitiveadhesive tape to the undersurface of the tickets at the second station.

Reference is now made to the operating means by which the ticketadvancing means and the tape sectionapplying means 42 are operated andfrom which the operation of the apparatus will be apparent. ln practice,many components of the operating means are supported by the base plate22 and occupy the spaces below it within the housing but these areomitted from the drawings but reference is made to FIG. 9 in which suchmeans and the several piston-cylinder units are schematically shown.

Air under pressure from a suitable source is connected to a conduit 104which is provided with a pressure regulating valve 105, a pressure gauge106 and intermediate branches 107, 108, and 109.

The branch 107 includes a valve 110 that is normally closed. The branch108 is under the control of a valve 111 that is normally open to connecta conduit 112 to the branch 108 while the conduit 109 is under thecontrol of a normally closed valve 113 connecting the conduit 114 torelief.

The conduit 112 includes branches 112A, 1128 and 112C of which thebranch 112A is in communication with the piston-cylinder unit 38 toestablish a normally retracted position of the ticket advancing means,and delivered thereby to the unit 38 by-passing the flow regulator l 15.The branch conduits 112B and 1 12C are each under the control of a valve1 16 that may be manually operated to enable either one of the tapesection applying means 42 to be rendered inoperative. The branchconduits 112B and 112C are in communication with the piston-cylinderunit 71 to establish a normally elevated position of the heads 73 inwhich they apply tape sections 41 to the undersurface of a ticket 27 atthe second station.

Air from the source is also delivered by a conduit 117 controlled by thesensor 50 and provided with a pressure regulating valve 118. The conduit116 is in communication with the valve 1 10 and maintains that valveclosed whenever a ticket 27 overlies its port 50A and the adjacentannular port 503 of the sensor 50. When the ticket 27 is removed, no airis deflected through the annular port 503 so that the valve opens inresponse to air delivered through the conduit 107 and is then operableto close the valve 11 1 and open the valve 113 so that air passesthrough the conduit 114 to the piston unit 38 which therefore respondsto advance a ticket from the first ticket pathway station to the secondstation thereof and also to the piston-cylinder units 71 thereby toeffect the lowering or retraction of their heads 73. The conduit 112 isnow connected to relief and the travel of the ticket advancing means isretracted by the flow regulator 115. It will be apparent that the smallsize of the unit 38 ensures its action in advance of the larger units 71and that upon the advance of a processed ticket 27 to the third station,the air flow through the sensor 50 is through the port 508 to close thevalve 110, whereupon the valves 111 and 112 are reset and thepiston-cylinder units, as a consequence, restored to their normalpositions.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for preparing articles to adhere to a surface, saidapparatus including structure providing a pathway including first andsecond stations and dimensioned to slidably receive an article, thefirst station having an entrance to admit articles one at a time intothe pathway, reciprocable means attached to said structure and operableto advance an admitted article to the second station and then returninto a position rearwardly of said entrance, at least one surfaceportion of an article at the second station being exposed, saidapparatus also including a support for at least one roll of tapeprovided on both surfaces with a layer of a double-faced,pressure-sensitive adhesive, and means to draw such tape from a roll onsaid support and sever and apply a predetermined section thereof to theexposed portion of an article at the second station, said applying meansincluding at least one head reciprocable between a retracted firstposition and a second position, the second position of the head beingbelow the second pathway station with the severed tape length positionedto contact the undersurface of an article at the second station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which there is a third station, and thearticle on delivery from the first station to the second station pushesany article at the second station to the third station, said thirdstation exposing a portion of a thus processed article for removaltherefrom, and including a backing surface and a spring finger attachedto the structure and extending into the third station in a position toseat an article advanced thereto against the backing surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the second station of the pathwayincludes a backing portion with which the article at the second stationcomes into engagement when a tape section is applied thereto by saidtape-applying means, and a resiliently yieldable connection between saidbacking portion and said structure, and a resilient snubber sopositioned in the pathway relative to the second station as to yieldablyhold an article advanced thereto.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the structure also has a slidewayin alignment with and in communi cation with the pathway, said slidewaybeing of greater depth than the pathway, and the article-advancing meansincludes a slide in said slideway provided with a forwardly extendingpusher plate dimensioned to slidably fit said pathway, and means mountedon said structure and connected to said slide and operable toreciprocate it.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the means severing a predeterminedlength from the tape and applying it to the ticket includes a rotatablefeed block with the tape trained part way about it, and yieldable pushermeans to seat the tape against the downwardly disposed face of the feedblock in the first position of the head.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the feed block includes means oneach face to secure the tape thereto, the downwardly disposed face isthe face first engaged by the tape and the pusher means is operable tourge the tape against the face.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 and means operable in response to theremoval of an article from the apparatus first to actuate said articleadvancing means to advance an article and the tape severing and sectionapplying means to retain the head in its first position and then toretract said article advancing means and to advance the head into itssecond position when an article has advanced from the second to thethird station.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the reciprocable ticket advancingmeans and the tape section applying means each includes a double-actingpiston-cylinder unit and the means operable in response to the removalof the article from the apparatus includes an air conduit provided withfirst, second, and third branch conduits, the first branch conduitincluding a first valve that is normally closed, the second branchconduit including a second valve that is normally closed, and thecylinders of said units and in communication therewith when the secondvalve is open then to effect the retraction of said article advancingmeans and to advance the head of the section applying means into itssecond position, the third branch conduit including a third valve thatis normally open and the cylinders of said units and normally inconnection therewith to effect the retraction of said head and theadvance of said article advancing means, and means triggered by theabsence or presence of an article at the third station to open and closesaid first valve, said first conduit then being in communication withand operable to open said second valve and close said third valve.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the means triggered by the advanceof an article from the second station is a second air conduit includinga sensor through which air is deflected by an article to close saidfirst valve.

it). The apparatus of claim 8 in which there are two heads and eachincludes a double-acting, pistoncylinder unit to effect thereciprocation of the head be tween said two positions and the secondbranch conduit includes branches in communication with both of saidunits, each including a manually operated valve operable to isolate aunit so as to prevent it from advancing the appropriate one of theheads.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the structure includes a coverplate having said entrance and a guide plate below the cover plateincluding a narrow portion extending forwardly centrally through thesecond station exposing two surface portions of an article, and thereare two reciprocable heads, one on each side of the forwardly extendingportion.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the cover plate has a pair oflaterally spaced and transversely aligned ports, each in verticalalignment with an appropriate one of the units and yieldable backingmeans closing each port.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the guide plate has a grooveextending from under the second station forwardly through its centralportion and the reciprocable means includes a slide in the grooverearwardly of the first station and the slide includes a for-v wardlyextending pusher plate dimensioned to slidably fit said pathway and of awidth such that a substantial portion of the edge of an article isengaged thereby.

M. The apparatus of claim 13 in which a snubber is secured in the groovein a position to yieldably hold a ticket at the second station whenadvanced thereto.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the cover plate has a centralrecess extending from the second station and the housing has a vertical,outwardly opening channel.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 and a spring finger secured to the coverplate and extending through its central recess in a position to seat thecentral portion of an article against the upper end of the channel.

17. Apparatus for applying to the undersurface of a member a section ofdouble-faced, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, said apparatus includingan axially supported, rotatable feed member part way about which suchtape is to be trained and which has a plurality of angularly disposedfaced, said feed member having a section applying position in which aface is disposed upwardly and below said undersurface, means operable toso turn said feed member as to bring the next adjacent face into saidposition, means operable to cut the tape at the trailing corner of atape covered face to provide a section during such turnings, one tapecovered face being downwardly disposed in said position, yieldable meansoperable to push the tape against said downwardly disposed face, andmeans operable to effect relative movement between said members to bringthem into tape section transferring contact.

lb. The device of claim 17 in which the feed member has means on eachface operable to hold the tape except when that face comes in contactwith the undersurface of the member.

19. The device of claim 19 in which the means operable to cut the tapeis an anvil engageable by a corner of the block as it turns into asection applying position and means are provided to deliver a releaseliquid to the surface of said anvil thereby to prevent adhesion of thetape thereto.

position thereof.

21. The device of claim 20 in which the feed member turning means isoperable on the return of the feed member to its first position first tocut the tape section and then to effect the operative relationship ofthe pusher means relative to the feed member.

1. Apparatus for preparing articles to adhere to a surface, saidapparatus including structure providing a pathway including first andsecond stations and dimensioned to slidably receive an article, thefirst station having an entrance to admit articles one at a time intothe pathway, reciprocable means attached to said structure and operableto advance an admitted article to the second station and then returninto a position rearwardly of said entrance, at least one surfaceportion of an article at the second station being exposed, saidapparatus also including a support for at least one roll of tapeprovided on both surfaces with a layer of a double-faced,pressure-sensitive adhesive, and means to draw such tape from a roll onsaid support and sever and apply a predetermined section thereof to theexposed portion of an article at the second station, said applying meansincluding at least one head reciprocable between a retracted firstposition and a second position, the second position of the head beingbelow the second pathway station with the severed tape length positionedto contact the undersurface of an article at the second station.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 in which there is a third station, and the articleon delivery from the first station to the second station pushes anyarticle at the second station to the third station, said third stationexposing a portion of a thus processed article for removal therefrom,and including a backing surface and a spring finger attached to thestructure and extending into the third station in a position to seat anarticle advanced thereto against the backing surface.
 3. The apparatusof claim 1 in which the second station of the pathway includes a backingportion with which the article at the second station comes intoengagement when a tape section is applied thereto by said tape-applyingmeans, and a resiliently yieldable connection between said backingportion and said structure, and a resilient snubber so positioned in thepathway relative to the second station as to yieldably hold an articleadvanced thereto.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the structurealso has a slideway in alignment with and in communication with thepathway, said slideway being of greater depth than the pathway, and thearticle-advancing means includes a slide in said slideway provided witha forwardly extending pusher plate dimensioned to slidably fit saidpathway, and means mounted on said structure and connected to said slideand operable to reciprocate it.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which themeans severing a predetermined length from the tape and applying it tothe ticket includes a rotatable feed block with the tape trained partway about it, and yieldable pusher means to seat the tape against thedownwardly disposed face of the feed block in the first position of thehead.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the feed block includes meanson each face to secure the tape thereto, the downwardly disposed face isthe face first engaged by the tape and the pusher means is operable tourge the tape against the face.
 7. The apparatus of claim 4 and meansoperable in response to the removal of an article from the apparatusfirst to actuate said article advancing means to advance an article andthe tape severing and section applying means to retain the head in itsfirst position and then to retract said article advancing means and toadvance the head into its second position when an article has advancedfrom the second to the third station.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 inwhich the reciprocable ticket advancing means and the tape sectionapplying means each includes a double-acting piston-cylinder unit andthe means operable in response to the removal of the article from theapparatus includes an air conduit provided with first, second, and thirdbranch conduits, the first branch conduit Including a first valve thatis normally closed, the second branch conduit including a second valvethat is normally closed, and the cylinders of said units and incommunication therewith when the second valve is open then to effect theretraction of said article advancing means and to advance the head ofthe section applying means into its second position, the third branchconduit including a third valve that is normally open and the cylindersof said units and normally in connection therewith to effect theretraction of said head and the advance of said article advancing means,and means triggered by the absence or presence of an article at thethird station to open and close said first valve, said first conduitthen being in communication with and operable to open said second valveand close said third valve.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which themeans triggered by the advance of an article from the second station isa second air conduit including a sensor through which air is deflectedby an article to close said first valve.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8 inwhich there are two heads and each includes a double-acting,piston-cylinder unit to effect the reciprocation of the head betweensaid two positions and the second branch conduit includes branches incommunication with both of said units, each including a manuallyoperated valve operable to isolate a unit so as to prevent it fromadvancing the appropriate one of the heads.
 11. The apparatus of claim 4in which the structure includes a cover plate having said entrance and aguide plate below the cover plate including a narrow portion extendingforwardly centrally through the second station exposing two surfaceportions of an article, and there are two reciprocable heads, one oneach side of the forwardly extending portion.
 12. The apparatus of claim11 in which the cover plate has a pair of laterally spaced andtransversely aligned ports, each in vertical alignment with anappropriate one of the units and yieldable backing means closing eachport.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the guide plate has agroove extending from under the second station forwardly through itscentral portion and the reciprocable means includes a slide in thegroove rearwardly of the first station and the slide includes aforwardly extending pusher plate dimensioned to slidably fit saidpathway and of a width such that a substantial portion of the edge of anarticle is engaged thereby.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 in which asnubber is secured in the groove in a position to yieldably hold aticket at the second station when advanced thereto.
 15. The apparatus ofclaim 11 in which the cover plate has a central recess extending fromthe second station and the housing has a vertical, outwardly openingchannel.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15 and a spring finger secured tothe cover plate and extending through its central recess in a positionto seat the central portion of an article against the upper end of thechannel.
 17. Apparatus for applying to the undersurface of a member asection of double-faced, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, saidapparatus including an axially supported, rotatable feed member part wayabout which such tape is to be trained and which has a plurality ofangularly disposed faced, said feed member having a section applyingposition in which a face is disposed upwardly and below saidundersurface, means operable to so turn said feed member as to bring thenext adjacent face into said position, means operable to cut the tape atthe trailing corner of a tape covered face to provide a section duringsuch turnings, one tape covered face being downwardly disposed in saidposition, yieldable means operable to push the tape against saiddownwardly disposed face, and means operable to effect relative movementbetween said members to bring them into tape section transferringcontact.
 18. The device of claim 17 in which the feed member has meanson each face operable to hold the tape except wheN that face comes incontact with the undersurface of the member.
 19. The device of claim 19in which the means operable to cut the tape is an anvil engageable by acorner of the block as it turns into a section applying position andmeans are provided to deliver a release liquid to the surface of saidanvil thereby to prevent adhesion of the tape thereto.
 20. The device ofclaim 17 in which the feed member is reciprocated between first andsecond positions, in the second position the severed tape section on itsupwardly disposed face coming into contact with said undersurface andthe means yieldably pushing the tape against the downwardly disposedface include a spring-backed pusher in engagement with the tape in thefirst position thereof.
 21. The device of claim 20 in which the feedmember turning means is operable on the return of the feed member to itsfirst position first to cut the tape section and then to effect theoperative relationship of the pusher means relative to the feed member.